The storms are part of the same system that brought tornadoes across the central U.S. earlier this week, including an EF-5 tornado in Moore, Okla., but they are not expected to be nearly as dangerous here.

Storms are most likely from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to a weather service hazardous weather outlook. Winds of 15-20 mph are expected, with stronger gusts possible if storms intensify. About three-fourths of an inch of rain is also possible.

Forecasters estimate the storm chances at about 60-70 percent, down from earlier predictions.

Wet weather could extend into Friday, with rain and clouds expected in the morning hours. But the cold front responsible for the stormy weather will bring cooler temperatures, with highs in the 60s on Friday and lows in the 50s.

For Memorial Day weekend, skies are expected to clear, though there was a chance the unsettled weather could linger through Friday and into Saturday.

Sunday or Monday could be the best days for a barbecue, with sunny to partly cloudy skies, highs in the lower 70s and lows in the 50s.

U.S. government meteorologists predict a “possibly extremely active” hurricane season in 2013, the top National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official said Thursday, with as many as half a dozen major hurricanes.

Historic flooding and the coldest temperatures in decades made weather headlines in Baltimore in 2014. Rainfall records were set in April and August, and after a frigid winter, the summer was comfortable and fall cool. The year is expected to be the coolest and wettest here in years.